This is one of those jokes that sprang from sheer necessity. When I planned to restart Puck, I wanted Daphne’s friend to come back as a character, but I couldn’t remember his name. So I scanned through my old files and discovered his name was Taylor. Then I said, “Oh poop.” Because over thirteen years ago, the name Taylor was an up-and-coming cool BOY’S name in line with the rash of medieval tradesmen’s names that were springing up at the time (Hunter, Cooper, Tucker, Tanner, Fletcher, etc.).
But then it all changed. I blame Miss Swift.
And now vote for Puck to see an ALL-NEW IMAGE! This one’s a different Christmas-themed holiday greeting – 70% naughty, 30% nice, and 100% inappropriate for tiny children!
Though this particular incentive pic isn’t available through voting on TWC anymore, you can purchase the pic from the STORE! It’s only a buck for a set of five voting incentives! That’s what I call a deal!
Every once in a while, brave parents of girls wander into boy territory and attempt a takeover. Sometimes they’re pushed back. Kevin was one such instance. Consider it the Dieppe of the name takeover war.
There is an advantage to having nebulous gender names. For instance the name Alex was used for the main character in Deus Ex: Invisible War which the player got to choose the gender of. Thus allowing them to voice the name, they did the same with Sheppard in the Mass Effect series by making it the last name.
But see, Alex is a solidly gender-neutral name because it’s short for a bunch of names, both male and female. Some names (like Taylor, and Leslie, and Kelly, etc.) started off as boy’s names, but switched sides. That’s a horror all unto its own.
The whole “Shepard” thing in Mass Effect bothers me.
Like since when did the whole Galaxy adopt Japan’s habit of referring to people by their family name? Since when has that every been appropriate?
I just completed the trilogy the other day… and from the beginning, I’ve imagined it has been a quirk of my personal FemShep that she’d always be asking people not to call her by her surname, but they’d never listen.
Spend any time in the military, and you get used to everyone being referred to by their last name. Not that many years ago, this used to be the norm for civilians too; people you didn’t know well or personally were always referred to by title (Mr., Mrs., etc.) and last name out of respect.
Girls have been given boys names for quite a long time. “Leslie” was apparently first a surname, then a male first name, and finally started to become a female first name about a century ago. Leslie Charteris inserted a complaint about women stealing his name in one of his Saint novels of the 1930’s, setting the stage for this by naming a young woman character “Tristan”. (Tristan is the smelly, hairy, sword-swinging male lead in “Tristan and Iseult”.)
English has always had a few gender-ambiguous names, but all that I can think of were were created by shortening gendered names: Pat (Patricia or Patrick), Chris (Christina or Christopher), Alex (Alexandra/er), Sam(antha), etc.
Even more fun: in the 1987 film Burglar, Bruce Willis was originally cast as the lead Bernie (for Bernard) Rhodenbarr, but when he dropped out, Whoopi Goldberg was cast as Bernie (for Bernice, I assume). The scriptwriter and director also inverted the genders of most of Bernie’s friends. Since I was familiar with the books on which the film was based, it was a hoot.
I have not seen that one. But it sounds … interesting. Though 1987 Bruce Willis tops 1987 Whoopi, in my opinion. (Current Whoopi beats current Bruce Willis, but current Bruce Willis cares so little that almost anyone beats him.)
I hereby demand that all cooler-than-thou, wannabe hipster parents immediately CEASE and DESIST giving their female offspring the following names: Taylor, Tyler, Madison, Hunter, Jesse(not even as a short version of Jessica), Sam, Samuel, Sammy, Dan, Dani, Daffy, and/or Donald. Any females currently bearing one of the aforementioned names will simply be referred to as “Hey, You,” on general principles. You will stop bastardizing, and homogenizing the English language. Even those of you outside of the U.S. that just pretend to speak English! And most especially those inside the U.S. determined to bring down the entire human race, leaving naught, but desolation and ruination upon the face of the Earth with their filthy hipster ways. I beseech thee therefore brothers and sisters, give thy male children male names, and thy female children female names lest thee bring about the greatest of woe and calamity upon our very heads!
Lord Foreshadow appears. He says, “Um, Daffy, you misbegotten whelp, what would happen in the indeterminate future if Taylor got a date with Hannah Vanbeek for the Prom? Hmmmm? Would that put a dent in your hardened egotism?”
I think the intent of a lot of these liberal parents in the 1980s who found themselves holding baby girls in their arms, and the feminist movement fresh in their brains, was to pick a boyish name and hope she grew up to be a tomboy rather than a girly girl.
That was certainly my parents intent. Unfortunately kids tend to become whoever they want to be, regardless of our wishes, and my sister became a girly girl who spends thousands of dollars a year on makeup and hair products… and that’s not counting the $20,000 nose job.
You know, I work with a guy who’s daughter’s name is Tyler. So, yeah.
Uh oh. The end is nigh…
Heh. I’ve got a shirttail in-law who’s named Tyler, and she was born sometime in the 1980s.
I actually heard that some girls are creeping in on Tyler now. When will the madness ever end?
Probably not until after a general collapse of society after which masculinity will be rediscovered as something useful.
Unlikely. (Masculinity rediscovered as something useful, I mean. Not the collapse of society.)
Just wait until you meet a girl named Brian…
None of us are safe!
Ugh. The spread continues!
In the late ’90s I briefly knew a lady named “Kevin”, who must have been born in the ’70s…
Maybe her mamma left home when she was eleven, and she didn’t leave much for her pa and Kevin, just an old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.
Whatever the reason, she was quite nice, so the name must not have been much of a burden for her…
Every once in a while, brave parents of girls wander into boy territory and attempt a takeover. Sometimes they’re pushed back. Kevin was one such instance. Consider it the Dieppe of the name takeover war.
I see you referenced that one song by that one guy. I approve.
So, to be clear, I am male. Lol.
I assumed. ‘Kevin’ has not entered into nebulous gender zone … yet.
There is an advantage to having nebulous gender names. For instance the name Alex was used for the main character in Deus Ex: Invisible War which the player got to choose the gender of. Thus allowing them to voice the name, they did the same with Sheppard in the Mass Effect series by making it the last name.
But see, Alex is a solidly gender-neutral name because it’s short for a bunch of names, both male and female. Some names (like Taylor, and Leslie, and Kelly, etc.) started off as boy’s names, but switched sides. That’s a horror all unto its own.
Alex can always be short for something! *Wink*
The whole “Shepard” thing in Mass Effect bothers me.
Like since when did the whole Galaxy adopt Japan’s habit of referring to people by their family name? Since when has that every been appropriate?
I just completed the trilogy the other day… and from the beginning, I’ve imagined it has been a quirk of my personal FemShep that she’d always be asking people not to call her by her surname, but they’d never listen.
Shepherd is also the commanding officer of a ship, so it makes sense that he’s addressed as You Idiot. I mean, Shepherd.
Spend any time in the military, and you get used to everyone being referred to by their last name. Not that many years ago, this used to be the norm for civilians too; people you didn’t know well or personally were always referred to by title (Mr., Mrs., etc.) and last name out of respect.
“Spend any time in the military, and you get used to everyone being referred to by their last name.”
Yes. I am fortunate to have a tongue-twister of a last name.
Drill Sergeants rarely picked me out for Details.
It was SO much easier for them to shout out “SMITH !!”
I guess you don’t remember Taylor Dayne (floruit 1987)?
I am pleased to see that ‘Madison’ has at least begun to fade.
I guess I don’t. But yeah, it took a long, long time for the post-Splash Madison craze to fade.
Girls have been given boys names for quite a long time. “Leslie” was apparently first a surname, then a male first name, and finally started to become a female first name about a century ago. Leslie Charteris inserted a complaint about women stealing his name in one of his Saint novels of the 1930’s, setting the stage for this by naming a young woman character “Tristan”. (Tristan is the smelly, hairy, sword-swinging male lead in “Tristan and Iseult”.)
English has always had a few gender-ambiguous names, but all that I can think of were were created by shortening gendered names: Pat (Patricia or Patrick), Chris (Christina or Christopher), Alex (Alexandra/er), Sam(antha), etc.
Even more fun: in the 1987 film Burglar, Bruce Willis was originally cast as the lead Bernie (for Bernard) Rhodenbarr, but when he dropped out, Whoopi Goldberg was cast as Bernie (for Bernice, I assume). The scriptwriter and director also inverted the genders of most of Bernie’s friends. Since I was familiar with the books on which the film was based, it was a hoot.
I have not seen that one. But it sounds … interesting. Though 1987 Bruce Willis tops 1987 Whoopi, in my opinion. (Current Whoopi beats current Bruce Willis, but current Bruce Willis cares so little that almost anyone beats him.)
(Current Whoopi beats current Bruce Willis, but current Bruce Willis cares so little that almost anyone beats him.)
Even Adam Sandler?
Though current Arnold is the tiredest and most defeated of all, so everyone beats him. Ironic, huh? That Whoopi would end up topping Arnold?
I hereby demand that all cooler-than-thou, wannabe hipster parents immediately CEASE and DESIST giving their female offspring the following names: Taylor, Tyler, Madison, Hunter, Jesse(not even as a short version of Jessica), Sam, Samuel, Sammy, Dan, Dani, Daffy, and/or Donald. Any females currently bearing one of the aforementioned names will simply be referred to as “Hey, You,” on general principles. You will stop bastardizing, and homogenizing the English language. Even those of you outside of the U.S. that just pretend to speak English! And most especially those inside the U.S. determined to bring down the entire human race, leaving naught, but desolation and ruination upon the face of the Earth with their filthy hipster ways. I beseech thee therefore brothers and sisters, give thy male children male names, and thy female children female names lest thee bring about the greatest of woe and calamity upon our very heads!
Enh. I’ll just be happy if they stick to real names and stop going the Hollywood route of naming kids after inanimate objects.
Apparently, use of gender-appropriate names is required by law in Germany.
Oh, those Germans and their conformity.
Lord Foreshadow appears. He says, “Um, Daffy, you misbegotten whelp, what would happen in the indeterminate future if Taylor got a date with Hannah Vanbeek for the Prom? Hmmmm? Would that put a dent in your hardened egotism?”
Survey says: yes.
I think the intent of a lot of these liberal parents in the 1980s who found themselves holding baby girls in their arms, and the feminist movement fresh in their brains, was to pick a boyish name and hope she grew up to be a tomboy rather than a girly girl.
That was certainly my parents intent. Unfortunately kids tend to become whoever they want to be, regardless of our wishes, and my sister became a girly girl who spends thousands of dollars a year on makeup and hair products… and that’s not counting the $20,000 nose job.
So much sorrow has been brought upon this world by well-meaning liberal parents.